Table implement.



H. J. RICHARDSON. TABLE IMPLEMENT. APPLICATION FILED nun. 11, 1209.

972,777; Patented 0ct.11,1910.

wimgm i I E To all whom "it may concern:

' on the line 00-00 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side .The hook 'or' slat h init-s handle portion, and a con- UNITED STATES PATENT orsicn.

HARVEY JONES RICHARDSON, 0F GILMOUR, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF To PETER N. STAFF, 0F TIERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

TABLE IMPLEMENT.

Application filed March 11,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910. 1909. Serial No. 482,783.

Be it known that I, HARVEY J. RICHARD- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gilmour, in the county of Sullivan and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table Implements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to knives, forks and spoons for use on picnics and in workmens dinner-pails; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the implements showing them folded. Fig. 2 .is a side view of the implements. Fig. 3 is a side view of the knife and spoon opened out. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken view of the fork.

A is a spoon provided with a shank B.

C is a knife-blade provided with a shank D which overlaps the shank B. The two shanks are pivoted together by a pin 6 which is secured in the shank D so that it cannot revolve. The shank D is provided with a hook d which engages with the shank B and forms a positive stop which limits the movement of the shanks in one direction. (Z is arranged on the same side of the device as the backeof the knife-blade where the forefinger bears in the act of cutting anything on a plate, and enables a suitable pressure to be exerted on the cuttin edge f of the knife. The rivet or pivot-p1n b is provided with a -shaped head g arranged crosswise of the knife-blade.

H is a fork provided with an oblong hole cavo-convex catch 2' on its shank. The hole or slot 71. is slipped over the head 9 when the fork iscrosswlse of the knife-blade, and the fork is then turned to the position shown in Fig. 1.' The catch 6 then engages with a projection j on the shank of the knife-blade so that the parts are prevented from slipl ping.

When the implements are folded as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the knife-blade is shielded by the curved portions of the fork and spoon, and its cutting-edge is protected from injury by contact with hardsubstances, and the device can be carried in the pocket with safety.

When the fork is detached, and the knife and spoon opened out, the spoon forms a handle for the knife-blade, and the knifeblade forms a handle for the spoon, and the fork can be used with either the knife or the spoon.

What I claim is:

1. In a foldable table implement, the combination, with a spoon provided with a shank, of a knife-blade provided with a shank having its middle portion pivoted to the spoon shank and provided with a hookshaped stop at its other end from the blade, which stop engages with one side edge of the spoon shank when the knife is opened, the tip of the blade being foldable into engagement with the bowl of the spoon when the knife is closed.

2. In a foldable table implement, the combination, with a spoon provided with a shank, of a knife-blade provided with a shank having its middle portion pivoted to the spoon shank and provided with ahookshaped stop at its other end from the blade, which stop engages with one side edge of the spoon shank when the knife is opened, the tip of the blade being foldable into engagement with the bowl of the spoon when the knife is closed, and a fork detachably connected to the knife on the opposite side of it from the spoon and having the points of its prongs arranged within the bowl of the spoon and forming a guard for the knife-blade when the knife is closed.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY JONES RIGHARDSOli Witnesses JESSE W. WALTERS, ORLAN O. RICHARDSON. 

